Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 by the Government of India for the overall sustainable development of coir industry in the Country. The functions of the Board as laid down under the Act include undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research, modernization, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion and welfare of all those who are engaged in this industry. The Head Quarters of the Board is located at Coir House, M.G. Road, Kochi, Kerala and is running 48 establishments including 29 marketing outlets across the country. For the last more than 60 years Coir Board is steering the industry and the industry today plays a vital role in the economic development of rural areas of the country. Coir industry was concentrated in the State of Kerala, which has now been proliferated to other parts of the country also, with the efforts taken by the Board.

The functions mandated under the Coir Industry Act are carried out by Coir Board under the various Schemes/Programmes, including research and development activities, training programmes, extending financial support for setting up of coir units, domestic as well as export market development, welfare measures to the workers etc.

Ministry of MSME is organizing in association with Coir Board, Govt. of India ENTERPRISE INDIA NATIONAL COIR CONCLAVE on 5th May 2022 at Hotel Le Meridian, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu as part of Azadi ka Amrith Mahotsav Celebrations. The Hon’ble Union Minister of MSME, Shri Narayan Rane will be the Chief Guest of the conclave and Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Hon’ble MOS for MSME, GoI will also present in this occasion. The hon’ble Union Minsters will interact with the State Ministers and key officials in charge of the Coir/ Industries Department of all the coconut growing State Governments /U.T Administration to chalk out necessary action plans for the development of the coir industry in the country.

The major objective of the Conclave is to create an effective platform for discussion and interaction between the Central and State/UT functionaries concerned with the coir industry. The Conclave will deliberate on the issues, challenges and opportunities in the coir sector in each State/UT and in the country as a whole. It would provide a permanent base for the Central and various State Governments to work with greater coordination for development of coir industry in states for better convergence in where State Governments’ role is vital. The Conclave would be an ideal platform for sharing the innovative ideas of the respective ideas of the representatives with the Hon’ble Union Minister and senior officials in the Ministry of MSME.

The main points of discussion are:

1. Action Plan under Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY)

2. Need for enhanced coconut cultivation and production of coconut

3. Increase in husk utilisation

4. Value addition in coir sector

5. Mandatory procurement of coir products by Central/State Govt. Department

6. Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme of Coir Board

7. Export facilitation programmes

8. Credit Plan for coir sector

9. Implementation of PMEGP in coir sector

10.Special efforts solicited from the State Governments

11. Welfare Schemes for coir workers by State Governments

12.And many other discussion points

Therefore, I personally invite you to kindly attend the National Coir Conclave scheduled to be held at Coimbatore on 5th May 2022, and promote coir industry to all over India.

In conjunction with this programme, Coir Board is distributing 44 Coir Industry Awards to 27 companies for the year 2015-16 to 2018-19 for their excellent performance in various fields like export, domestic sales, R&D efforts, entrepreneurship, best performing cooperative Societies & Clusters.

Launching of New Coir Products, Release of 4 Nos. books on various coir products viz. Coir Geotextiles, Coir Wood, Coir Pith and Coir Floor Furnishings and handing over of Market Development Assistance to the State Governments are other major programmes in this Conclave.

The Board is also organising a National seminar in the afternoon of 5th May, 2022 to propagate the new development in the area of Coir Geo textiles and the application of Coir Pith. Major industrialists and scientists will be presenting the Papers.

In coincidence with the National Coir Conclave, Coir Board is also organizing a Coir Marathon “Run for Coir” on 6th May 2022 at 6.30 am Nehru Stadium, Coimbatore. The theme of the programme is “Coir – the solution for reversing global warming”. Hon’ble Ministers and dignitaries will inaugurate and participate in Coir Run.

After this programme, the Hon’ble Ministers will visit the coir units in Pollachi area to understand the pulse of the coir industry. I am appreciating both the Hon’ble Ministers in MSME Ministry for their endeavour to develop the coir industry.

I invite all the media persons again to attend and promote coir industry, because Coir Industry is very specific on three aspects, especially, the important role it plays in woman empowerment, secondly, the continuous manifestation of growth rate in export even during the economic recession period and thirdly, the industry turns waste into wealth. With small investment, this industry provides employment to a large number of people. Coir industry plays a pivotal role in uplifting the living conditions of the rural India, both by way of providing substantial wages to the workers and also by lifting their living conditions.